The E.S. Fox Ltd. Bantam BB Rep Pelham Panthers defeated the Strathroy Jr. Rockets 5-2 on Friday, completing a 3 game series sweep and securing the OMHA Championship title
It was a hard fought game, but the Pelham Panthers ultimately proved victorious in the Bantam BB OMHA Championship last weekend, defeating the Strathroy Junior Rockets 5-2. The win gave the Panthers a sweep in the three game series that saw Pelham’s squad outwork their tough opponent to clinch the title.
After a slow start during which Pelham was frequently hemmed into their own end, the Panthers opened the scoring at 9:15 of the first period on a power play goal by Matt Diraddo. That tally sparked Pelham, who began to find their feet and apply sustained pressure in Strathroy’s zone. Their efforts would be rewarded with two more goals before the period let out, one from Mitchell Carmichael on the power play at 1:56 and another shortly after from Ethan Mergl with 1:25 left in the frame.
Down 3-0 with their season on the line, Strathroy came out hard in the second, throwing some heavy hits and using their speed to generate a number of good chances on the rush. The Panthers, however, were up to the task, weathering the storm and eventually taking a 4-0 lead on Ethan Mergl’s second goal of the night.
Though Strathroy was finally able to solve goaltender Michael Rossi as the second period wound down, Pelham’s Trent Glenney restored the four goal lead on a scrambled play in front of the net with only a second left in the middle frame.
Behind 5-1, Strathroy poured it on in the third period, which was marked by a number of penalties on both sides. The Rockets fired a barrage of shots at Rossi, but were only able to beat him once more, with 5:00 left to play. After that, Pelham’s net minder was a wall, turning back everything Strathroy threw at him and sealing a 5-2 victory for Pelham
“It felt great,” said Rossi as friends and family gathered on the ice to celebrate the win.
It was a sentiment shared by the entire roster, many of whom had suffered a heartbreaking Championship loss in 2015
“I’ve been here three times now,” said Ethan Mergle, a member of last year’s second place squad who scored Friday’s eventual game-winner. “The third times the charm, I guess. It feels good.”
In the post-game media scrum, Captain Liam Sodtke was quick to praise the team’s coaching staff for giving them the tools to win: “The coaches were a really big help, especially coach Mergl who really helped the defense, and Coach Carmichael who skated us at the end of every practice. Though we didn’t like it so much at the time it has paid off in the end.”
Coach Carmichael confirmed that instilling a strong work ethic was a big part of Pelham’s success.
“You play games the way you practice,” he said, “and these kids work hard day in and day out,”
